The Importance of Noticing

photo from Unsplash

Time spent in nature does wonders for the mind, body and soul. But what if you're too much in your head to notice your surroundings? We admit, at times life has us so scattered we won't remember the walk we just took. The trees, the birds, the world—it all passes us by in a fog. While walks like that still might be good for the body, the mind and soul deserve better. What to do?

“Noticing can take many forms. One trick is to count things. Scientists love to count stuff. How many trees are there on the sides of a steep hill compared with its crest? How many different kinds of birdsong do you hear when you stop and listen? Counting things forces you to pay attention to subtleties in the landscape, the plants, the critters. [...] Other things scientists love: shapes, colors, patterns. Do the rocks at the stream's edge look different from the ones near the trail? Do the big cattails have the same color as the small ones?

[...] You don't need the answers. As the poet Rilke once said, "Try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books written in a foreign language." Questions raise our pulse and sharpen our delight.”